Our fears, by traders

As work on the Oyingbo Market nears completion, many traders are apprehensive that they may not be able to afford the rent. TAIBAT IDOWU writes.

Gradually, the pouplar Oyingbo market in Lagos Mainland is beginning to wear a new look. The construction of shops in the market started about five years ago in fulfilment of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s plan to stop street trading.

But the traders are afraid that they may not be able to afford the rent for the shop.

According to some of them, the rent will be for people who are in the millionaire’s club.

A petty trader, Mrs. Risikat Kudiri, said: “We are poor but our prayer is that we should have money so that we can also benefit from the work of the state government. We are appealing to the government to consider those of us who are petty traders when the market is ready.”

Similarly, the fears of Mrs. Badejo Kudirat, another trader is that the shops are not designed to accommodate people like her. She said the government should also consider those who do not have money. “It is not meant for everybody, it is for those that have money and I don’t have the kind of money the government will be asking for. I heard they are going to give the shops out for rent at N1 million. I pray God should provide another place for me to do my business,” she said.

Mrs. Idiat Lawal, who is also a trader in the market, lamented that the government will give the shops to those who have the millions, adding that petty traders like her are not in the thinking of the government. “We are told the rent for a shop will be N1million each. Is it me that is selling onions, cray fish and okro that will rent a shop for N1 million? I don’t think I am one of the people that the government is targeting. It is a polite way of asking us to go back to our villages,” she said.

While some traders are still waiting to see which direction the pendulum swings, others have started showing interest in the new shops.

For some other market women, it is not only the fear of rent they have to contend with but the fact they have to be climbing up and down the stairs which they are not used to.

According to them, they expected the government to build small shops on the land but were shocked to see storey buildings.

Mrs. Sherifat Aremu, a trader in the market, said the government promised to build stalls for them initially, but now they are building story buildings. “Is it inside this mighty building that I will be selling my okro, palm oil, grand nut oil, salt and other petty things? How many customers will climb the stairs to patronise me? We are pleading with the government to please build the normal stalls we are used to so that our customers can continue to patronize us.”

Mrs. Kemi Atanda said Oyingbo market has existed for many decades and it has been associated with the masses. For this reason, the government should let the ‘common people’ pay for the shops instalmentally. “ we learnt it is going to be on the high side, but I think it shouldn’t be”.

According to one of the contractors working on the site, the state government has not decided on how much it will let out the property to traders. “We have not reached the level of putting monetary value to the shops. What we are doing at the moment is building the shops to standard. I assure you that the state government will be considerate in allocating the shops. The renovation exercise was carried out in the interest of the traders in the first place; therefore, the state government will not heap burden on their necks.